Evaluation Engineering - 4

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MAKING LEMONADE
It's pretty obvious to even the most casual
observer that we are currently living in
interesting times. Even before our society was
challenged by the latest cultural unrest, climate issues, and a viral pandemic, the electronics industry was and is being rocked by
disruptive technologies. Fomented by events,
these turbulent situations have merged into
a perfect storm of change.
The first thing to do is to recognize times
like these as opportunities for positive
change. Another thing that should be obvious to everyone is that in every one of these
fronts, going forward is the only way to overcome the challenge. From developing more efficient electronics and improved green-energy
systems to healthier societal paradigms, we
will prevail over the monsters that oppose us.

Task-based work
We are already beginning to experience the
ramifications of the shift to remote work for
those who are able. This has fomented many
different management styles to address the
need to ensure productivity and goal achievement with a widely-spread team. Among the
most successful and productive are those
focusing on task-based, rather than timeoriented, work.
This approach is well-suited for the electronics industry, which usually has a project-oriented philosophy in the creation of
products. Reducing the number of meetings
and attend-only events often results in significantly increased productivity, while also
allowing workers to use the rest of their time
in a more personally-fulfilling manner.

Web-based collaboration
Team-oriented online collaboration has been
around for a while, but has now entered its
apogee. While this may be the peak, the ebb
will not be large, as web-based tools have
demonstrated that effective (and short)
meetings and the easy exchange of documents and data are business force multipliers. Telepresence applications have also
underscored the unimportance of where

EVALUATION ENGINEERING JULY 2020

people are. This is freeing in multiple ways,
as workers can locate to (or remain in) places
with a more favorable cost of living, culture,
or climate to them.
The ability to have productive workers
living anywhere also expands the ability for
companies to grow, as previously the people
with the ability to jumpstart new ventures
couldn't leave the office long enough to implement them. Now that the value worker can be
on-site while still participating in day-to-day
operations, companies can do more with less.
It is also easier to address remote problems
when the raw data can be acquired on the spot.

Improved web infrastructures
The significant increase in the number of
users and volume of traffic online has also
exposed the issue of web infrastructures. The
best tool in the world is useless if you can't
operate it, and the best gathering of minds on
the planet can't get anything done if there are
bandwidth and latency issues. This nuisance
situation creates a strong demand for better
and more robust connection and networking
solutions, faster and fatter than before.
Next-generation solutions like 5G and WiFi
6 promise to deliver the performance we demand, with the security and reliability we
need. There are other things going on in the
industry that will also impact Web and Cloud
bandwidth and latency, from Edge Computing
to the migration of low-information devices
to solutions such as Long-Range Wireless
(LoRaWAN), Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE),
and Low-Power Wireless Bus (LWB).

Smart cities, smart people
This storm has also accelerated the development of next-generation technologies such as
smart devices, facilities, and municipalities.
These will all be integrated at some level, providing advanced functionalities to everyone.
The transition to green energy systems, advanced personal devices and self-driving EVs
will also accelerate. The result of this, once
we come through the storm, promises to be
a better place for us all.

67.7 BILLION
Projected global fab
equipment spending in 2021

24%
Estimated increase in global fab
equipment spending over 2020
Source: SEMI

20+%
Forecast increases for global
memory market year-onyear in 2021 and 2022

163.3 BILLION
Amount the global memory
market is predicted to
surpass in 2022
Source: IC Insights

104.6 BILLION
Worldwide sales of
semiconductors in Q1 2020

6.9%
Estimated year-over-year increase in Q1 semiconductor sales
Source: SIA

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Evaluation Engineering

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